LAUSANNE March 30, 2025 — Kirsty Coventry has been elected president of the International Olympic Committee, becoming the first woman and first African to hold the role.
The Zimbabwe sports minister and two-time Olympic swimming gold medallist secured a decisive first-round victory in the seven-candidate race, winning the vote of nearly 100 IOC members on Thursday.
She will serve an eight-year term until 2033.
This election was one of the most unpredictable in decades, with no clear frontrunner, and many anticipated multiple voting rounds. Coventry’s victory was also seen as a win for outgoing IOC president Thomas Bach, who had long supported her candidacy but abstained from voting.
"I will make all of you very, very proud and hopefully extremely confident in the decision you have taken," Coventry said in her acceptance speech. "Now we have got some work together."
As she made her way to the podium, she was congratulated by Juan Antonio Samaranch, her expected closest competitor in the vote.
Other candidates included four presidents of sports governing bodies—Sebastian Coe (athletics), Johan Eliasch (skiing), David Lappartient (cycling), and Morinari Watanabe (gymnastics)—as well as Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan.
Coventry will officially succeed Bach on June 23, Olympic Day, becoming the 10th IOC president in the organization’s 131-year history. Bach departs after serving the maximum 12 years in office.
Her key challenges will include guiding the Olympic movement through political and sporting complexities ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games and engaging diplomatically with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Additionally, her leadership will involve selecting a host city for the 2036 Summer Games, with potential bids from India and Middle Eastern nations. — Euronews